


Different as Can Be

by ObliqueOptimism



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, Good Brother Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Smart Klaus Hargreeves, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 23:17:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21126902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Five and Klaus aren't as different as the others think.





	Different as Can Be

**Author's Note:**

> sent the idea to remus and then wrote it all in the same day like i know its short but listen, i needed some five and klaus as besties

Five knew he didn’t have much time left. Not before they all went out to celebrate Klaus being a month sober. _Voluntarily sober._ No forced rehab. The end of the world didn’t happen and Klaus was hoping to contact this Dave person that he wouldn’t stop telling Five about. Many nights found Klaus talking to Five about time travel and Vietnam and Dave while Five spoke about time travel and the apocalypse and Delores while Klaus knitted and Five did math. 

He was trying to get his body back, or at least age it up to be his family’s age. 

He was also trying to find ways to make sure the Commission stayed away.

Klaus was trying to knit Five one of those winter hats with a beard attached as Five once mentioned how long his beard had gotten before the Commission found him. 

Neither of them slept very well.

But late nights of math and talk reminded Five often of them growing up. When they did similar, Five working on time travel and Klaus filling any silence with talk. (Five was probably the only one who knew then that it wasn’t really Klaus filling silence, it was Klaus talking over the noise ghosts made.)

One night, instead of talking to Five, Klaus took chalkboard paint and painted one wall in each room with it, including areas of the house they didn’t frequent. 

Five was in the vestibule of the house, waiting for everyone to gather so they could go to Applebee’s (Klaus thought that was enough of a classy and upscale place to celebrate a month sober). He’d been ready for about a half hour, waiting, knowing they would probably be late to their reservation, doing math. And it was not working.

It just-- 

Wasn’t working right. 

He’d messed up _somewhere_. Frowning, Five almost didn’t hear most, if not all, of the family joined him. 

He heard Luther lumber in, “Five, stop working. Klaus, what are you wearing? Go change.”

Five turned to see everyone but Vanya there. Which made sense, she was going to meet them at Applebee’s. She had work and was going to go afterwards. (She was probably waiting for them.) Allison had an eyebrow raised at Klaus, Diego was cleaning under his nails with a knife, Luther was glaring at Klaus, and Klaus was staring at the math, ignoring Luther.

He was also wearing that hideous clown shirt again. The ruffles were just as stupid as he remembered, the flower print as ugly, the red line down the buttons as grotesque.

Five scoffed, “That’s his best outfit.”

‘It’s his _what_?” Allison scoffed.

Klaus’s eyes flashed to him and he grinned. “You stuck, Five-o?” he snickered.

Five threw his chalk at Klaus, “Shut up, you heathen.”

Klaus fumbled to managed to catch the chalk, “You shut up, you mongrel, or I shan’t be helping.” Reaching out he changed a _x_ to a _y_ and then added a decimal point to a set of numbers. He then handed the chalk back, “If you missed that you need some sleep, hmm?” He patted him on the head, undoubtedly getting chalk dust in hair hair.

Five narrowed his eyes and looked over the revised equation, “Thank you Klaus, that is what was wrong.”

Diego was paying attention now, “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?” Klaus leaned against Five and rested his arm against the top of Five’s head. 

Five did not knock him off. 

Diego gestured at the wall. “That. Did Ben tell you?”

Five frowned. “Why would Ben tell him?”

“Benny doesn't know physics. Philosophy, literature, history, common sense, sure. But this is all nonsense to him,” Klaus explained. “This was all me, baby.”

“Uh,” Luther shook his head, “sorry but no. Next to Five, _I’m_ the best at math. And I didn’t--”

“You are _not_.” Five growled out. How dare he suggest-- “Klaus is a close second. Always has been. You are a low _third_, Number One. Just because you fixated on space and all the math that involves _that_ doesn’t mean you know about quantum physics.”

“And Klaus does?” Luther exclaimed.

_”Obviously,”_ Five said dryly.

Klaus was laughing. 

“We don’t have time to get into this,” Five announced, “Vanya is probably waiting for us at _Applebee’s_.” Said with distain.

“It’s a family restaurant!” Klaus squawked. “And we’re a family!”

“Okay, okay,” Allison held her hands up in a placating manner. “Klaus, go change, feel free to borrow from me, Five, go wash that chalk off your hands and hair. Then we’ll go.”

Klaus started running his hand through Five’s hair, getting the dust out. 

“I told you! That’s his best outfit!” Five glared. “We are both ready to go. So let’s go.” He gestured to the door. When no one immediately started filing out, Five turned to face Klaus. “Guess it’s just you and I who are ready.” Grabbing a hold, he teleported them to Applebee’s.

As soon as they let go Klaus burst out laughing, “Did you see their faces?”

Five sighed, “Do they not know?”

“Know what? How awesome I am? Of course not, they can’t _fathom_ how awesome I am.” 

“Basically,” Five nodded. “Did none of them realize how smart you are?”

“Uh, no? To be fair to them, I’ve made some _real dumb_ decisions,” Klaus shrugged. “Why would they think I’m smart when like, I deliberately poisoned myself and put myself in dangerous situations?”

“Just because you hate yourself doesn’t mean you aren’t smart,” Five rolled his eyes. “Mind you, I may have to revoke your Mensa card knowing how much you dislike yourself.”

“_Forgot I was in Mensa,_” Klaus mumbled. “Besides, who am I to argue with God as to how shitty I am, hmm?” HIs tone was light.

Five lightly smacked Klaus’s arm, “Who are you to argue with _me_? Forget God, she’s a bitch. She’s not part of Mensa.”

Klaus wrapped his arms tight around Five, “Proof that she sucks.”

“Vanya’s probably inside waiting for us,” Five mumbled into Klaus’s stupid outfit. 

“Shh, shh, enjoy this moment,” Klaus mumbled, starting to sway them back and forth. 

Klaus was lucky Five liked him.

A voice cleared beside them, “Is the rest of the family joining us?” Vanya asked, smirk on her face.

“Yeah, but they’re losers who have to take the minivan,” Klaus replied, letting go of Five.

Vanya looked them over, reaching out she fixed Five’s hair and then said, “I love your outfit, Klaus. Very you.”

Klaus beamed, “Thank you!”

Five smiled slightly. He would’ve been happy if it was the three of them at Applebee’s, ditching the others. Him and his favorite siblings. Maybe he’d have to set that up soon.

Later, after the others showed up and they got into an argument about who sat where and over what appetizers they’d get, Five was more certain that sometime it would have to be him, Klaus, and Vanya. Having all the others there made him want to drink and while Klaus thought it would be funny if he ordered a sangria so Five could drink it on his 30th day sober. Five had agreed but they were shot down by Luther. 

They’d try that next time.

That sounded good-- 

A next time.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr @ obliqueoptimism


End file.
